March! Blow Trumpets! Shout!

God gave the Israelites specific directions for defeating Jericho. They were to march around the city for six days and have the priests carry trumpets. Then on the seventh day, they were instructed to march around city seven times, blow their trumpets and shout. Then the walls would fall.

I’m pretty sure this battle plan would have NEVER even entered my mind. Marching, blowing trumpets, and shouting doesn’t exactly make the top of the list for effective war strategies. But God wasn’t interested in the Israelites’ best strategic battle plans. He was interested in their trust and obedience in Him!

Sometimes God asks us to do bizarre things. Things that make absolutely no sense from our vantage point. Things that might seem impossible to accomplish on human terms. Things that go against our human flesh. Man’s logic often gets in God’s way. His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

But if we obey Him and do it His way, that’s when we see walls fall!

Skip and I experienced this in the first few years of our marriage. Things got rocky. We wanted out, but God wanted us in. We wanted to hurt and hate but God asked us to forgive and love. We wanted to run, but God asked us to stay. By God’s grace we did it. Against everything that made sense from a human standpoint, we did it God’s way. We stayed, obeyed, and prayed. And over time we began to see walls fall! Walls of hate gave way to love. Walls of bitterness gave way to forgiveness. Walls of hurt gave way to healing. Walls of doubt gave way to trust. And when those walls came crashing down, God was able to do a mighty work in our lives and marriage. I am so incredibly thankful!

Are you in a battle?

What is the Lord asking you to do?

Whatever it is, don’t hesitate. Stop drawing your own battle plans and go with His.

If He asks you to march, then march.

Blow a trumpet–blow.

If He tells you to shout–then shout.

Persevere. Don’t stop on day 6. Keep going. Day 7 is coming. Hang in there. Obey. Trust Him.

Then watch those walls fall.

Nobody can bring down walls like Him!

Lord, I get so caught up in drawing up my own battle plans. But You are simply calling me to trust and obey You–to do things Your way! Help me to trust and obey You even when I don’t understand or when Your ways don’t make sense to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.